Locking hinge



June 10, 1969 D. L. WRIGHT 3,448,486

LOCKING HINGE Filed Oct. 5, 1966 Sheet of 2 IN VENTOR. DONALD L. WR/GHT mcii ATTORNEYS June 10, 196@ WRAGHT 3,448,486

LOCKING HINGE Filed Oct. 5, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 8? Him, g X/ Q O 1 2 70 1f L 'g -32 K 74 j a WWW 72 I J n G //2 INVENTOR.

H4 DONALD L. WR/GHT n BY A T TOR/v5 Y5 United States Patent 3,448,486 LOCKING HINGE Donald L. Wright, Tampa, Fla., assignor to Locking Hinge & Hardware Manufacturing, Inc., Tampa, Fla., a corporation of Florida Filed Oct. 3, 1966, Ser. No. 583,620 Int. Cl. Ed 9/00, 15/00; E05g 1/00 US. Cl. 16-128 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to improved hinges and, more particularly, it relates to improved locking hinges.

The locking hinge of the present invention includes, generally, a pair of hinge members which are interlocked with one another, by means of a pintle or pin extending through the knuckle portions thereof. The pin is adapted to be positionably adjusted to a first position to permit the hinge to operate in normal hinge fashion and to a second position to lock the hinge to prevent the hinge members from being turned. The hinge can be used on virtually any object having doors, covers, lids, panels or sections which are adapted to be opened, to lock them in an open or closed position.

One example where the hinge finds particular utility is on cabinets in which medicines, bleaches, ammonia, pesticides and the like are kept, to prevent small children from gaining access to them. Warnings are constantly being given to the public to keep such items under lock and key,

however, these 'warnings are generally overlooked or ignored, apparently because of the inconvenience of locking and unlocking the cabinet and keeping track of the key. With the hinge of the present invention, the cabinet is easily and quickly locked merely by positionably adjnstingthe hinge pin. No key is required.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide improved hinges. A more particular object is to provide improved hinges which are adapted to be easily and quickly locked, in an open or closed position.

Another object is to provide improved locking hinges which are adaptable for use on virtually all objects having doors, covers, lids, panels or sections which are adapted to be opened, to lock them in an open or closed position;

Still another object is to provide improved locking hinges which can be easily and quickly installed, without the need of special tools.

. Still another object is to provide improved locking hinges which will not detract from the appearance of the' objects to which they are affixed.

' A still further object is to provide improved locking hinges which are relatively simple in construction and virtually maintenance free. In this respect, it is further contemplated that the hingescan be inexpensively r'n'anu'factured."

. Other objects of the invention will in part be and will in part appear hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement obvious of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter set forth, and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.

Patented June 10, 1969 For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyin g drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front plan view of a locking hinge, exemplary of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side plan view of the locking hinge of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the locking hinge of FIG.

FIG. 4 is an exploded plan view of the locking hinge of FIG. 1, illustrating the construction of the pintle;

FIG. 5 is a front plan view of the locking hinge of FIG. 1, illustrating the pintle in the locking position;

FIG. 6 is a front plan view, partially sectionalized, of a locking hinge having a spring-loaded pintle and a locking pin, for locking the pintle in a position whereby the hinge cannot be operated;

FIG. 7 is a partial view of the locking hinge of FIG. 6, partially sectionalized to illustrate the pintle in its locked position;

FIG. 8 is a front plan view of a locking hinge, exemplary of a second embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are a front plan view and a top view of the pintle of the hinge of FIG. 8;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along lines 1111 of FIG. 8;

FIG. 12 is a sectional view taken along lines 1212 of FIG. 8;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are a front plan view and a top view, respectively, of an alternative construction for the pintle;

FIG. 15 is a front plan view, partially sectionalized along lines 1515 of FIG. 16, to illustrate an alternative construction for the pintle lock;

FIG. 16 is a side plan view of the locking hinge of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is an enlarged portion of the locking hinge of FIG. 15, partially sectionalized to illustrate the construction of the pintle lock;

FIG. 18 is a sectional view taken along lines 1818 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a partial top plan view of a cabinet frame and a door having a locking hinge which is constructed so that it can be substantially hidden affixed to them;

FIG. 20 is a partial top plan View similar to FIG. 19, illustrating an alternate construction of a hidden hinge;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged partial view, illustrating a pintle lock for the hidden hinges of FIGS. 19 and 20;

FIG. 22 is a front plan view of a locking hinge, partially sectionalized to illustrate still another locking arrangement for the pintle thereof; 4

FIGS. 23 and 24 are enlarged partial views of the locking hinge of FIG. 22, partially sectionalized to illustrate the construction of the pintle lock; and

FIG. 25 is a sectional view taken along lines 25-25 of FIG. 23.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views-of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1-5 thereof, there is illustrated a locking hinge 10 having a pair of hinge members 12 and 14 which are aflixed to a one another by means of a pintle 16 extended through the knuckles 18 thereof. The knuckles 18 on the respective hinge members are alternatively spaced to receive the knuckles on the opposite hinge member between them,

in the well-known fashion. The hinge members 12 and 14 strip of material 21 to protect it, which material is stripped off before installation.

The knuckles 18 of the hinge members 12 and 14 are most easily formed by reversely folding .the hinge members so as to form a substantially square-shaped cavity 22 (FIG. 3), however, in actual production the locking hinge is preferably molded or cast of metal and the cavities 22 are formed therein during the molding or casting operation. Also, as will be apparent from the description below, the cavities 22 can be of other polygonal shapes and may even be generally circular and splined, as illustrated in FIGS. 13 and 14. v

The pintle 16 has a cross-section which substantially corresponds to the configuration of the cavities 22 formed in the knuckles 18 and has two reduced diameter portions which effectively divide the pintle into three spaced apart flat sections 28, 29 and 30. These flat sections and the reduced diameter portions are hereinafter referred to as flats 28-30, respectively, and rounds 24 and 26, respectively. The pintle 16 is both transversely slidable within the cavities 22 and is prevented from rotating therein. The pintle also has a length substantially longer than the hinge members 12 and 14 so that its end extends beyond the knuckles 18 a distance approximately equal to the width of one of the knuckles. The rounds 24 and 26 are formed on the pintle 16 in positions such that the knuckles 18 on the hinge member 14 encircle them when the pintle 16 is assembled within the hinge members 12 and 14 to aflix them together, with the upper end thereof extending out of the knuckles 18, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The rounds 24 and 26 permit the hinge member to be rotated about the pintle 16. The hinge member 12, however, is prevented from rotating about the pintle by the flats 28-30 which correspond to the shape of the cavities 22 within the knuckles 18 and which are therefore effectively locked therein.

From the above description, it can be seen that the hinge members 12 and 14 can be rotated with respect to one another like any other hinge whenever the upper end of the pintle extends out of the knuckles 18, as illustrated in FIG. 1. However, if the pintle 16 is slid downwardly within the knuckles 18, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the hinge members 12 and 14 are prevented from being rotated. This is because the flat 28 of the pintle 16 is now lockingly engaged within the cavities 22 in the uppermost ones of the knuckles 1-8 of both of the hinge members 12 and 14, and the flat 29 is lockingly engaged within the cavity 22 in the lowermost one of the knuckles of the hinge member 14. The lower end, or flat 30, of the pintle 16 extends out of the knuckles 18, below the hinge members 12 and 14, as illustrated in FIG. 5. Accordingly, the door, cover or the like to which the hinge 10 is afiixed cannot be opened since the hinge is inoperable. To render the hinge operable, the pintle 16 must be pushed upwardly so that the rounds 24 and 26 thereof are again positionably aligned with the knuckles 18 of the hinge member 14.

A finger plate 32 is preferably affixed to the top end of the pintle 16 to provide a surface for exerting pressure against the top of the pintle and to prevent the latter from sliding through the knuckles 18. The finger plate 32, as can be best seen in FIG. 2, is accordingly preferably slightly larger than the cross-sectional area of the pintle 16 so as toprovide a small lip 34 which will engage the edge of the knuckle 18.

It may be noted that the hinge 10 also can be locked in an open position. By rotating one hinge member 12 or 14 to a 90 position, the pintle 16 can be slid downwardly within the knuckles 18 to lockingly engage the flats 28 and 29 within the cavities 22 in the knuckles, in the manner described above.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, there is illustrated a locking hinge 36 which is substantially like the locking hinge 10, only having a spring-loaded pintle. With the locking hinge 36, the length of the hinge members 12 and 14 are extended a distance approximately equal to the width of one of the knuckles 18. The lowermost one of the knuckles on the hinge member 12 is substantially doubled in length and a wall 41 is formed on its under side so as to provide a spring retaining cavity 40. A spring 42 is retained within the spring retaining cavity 40 and normally biases the pintle 16 to the opened position, as illustrated in FIG. 6. The backside of the spring retaining cavity 40 is open to allow a pintle snap ring 23 (described more fully below) and the spring 42 to be easily installed or serviced.

The lower edges of the lowermost ones of the knuckles 18 on the hinge member 14 are folded inwardly to form a flange 25 which is engaged by the pintle snap ring 23, to retain the pintle 16 within the knuckles 1'8. Thepintle 16 has a smaller lower flat in that its lower end is provided with another smaller reduced diameter portion or. round 27 which is adapted to slidably fit through the space between the flange 25. A groove 29 is formed in the round 27, for receiving the pintle snap ring 23. In assembling the pintle within the knuckles, the round 27 is extended through between the flange 25 so that the snap ring 23 can be afiixed within the groove 29, below the flange.

A pintle lock 44 is provided to lock the pintle 16 in a depressed position, against the spring 42, to render the hinge 36 inoperable. The pintle lock 44 includes a pin 46 which is slidably affixed to the hinge member 12 and adapted to be received within an aperture 50 formed in the pintle 16, as illustrated in FIG. 7. The pin 46 is aflixed to a plate 48 which is slidably affixed to the hinge member 12 by engaging its edges within a pair of flanges which are formed in the hinge member 12 by slotting the hinge member 12 and bending the latter outwardly along the slots so' as to form a pair of spaced flanges (not shown). A finger plate 48 is affixed atop the pin 46 at its one end, for sliding the pin 46 into the aperture 50 to lock the pintle 16.

The operation of the locking hinge 36 also can be easily reversed so that the hinge is normally inoperative and the hinge members 12 and 14 cannot be rotated. This is accomplished by merely reversing the pintle 16 end for end so that the lower end of the fiat 28 thereof is engageable with the spring 42. The spring 42 urges the pintle 16 upwardly so that the flat 28 is lockingly engaged with the lowermost ones of the knuckles 18 of the two hinge mem-' bers 12 and 14 to prevent both of the hinge members from being rotated.

To render the hinge operable, the pintle 16 is pushed downwardly to compress the spring 42 and is locked in this position by means of the pintle lock 44. Alternatively, the spring retaining cavity 40 and the spring 42 can be positioned at the top of the hinge so that the pintle 16 is normally biased downwardly to lockingly engage the flats 28 and 29 in the cavities 22 in the knuckles 18. In this case, the pintle is raised to render the hinge operative.

It can be seen from the above description of the hinges 10 and 36 that the flat 28 of the pintle 16 is the only flat which simultaneously lockingly engages within the cavities 22 formed in the knuckles 18 of both the hinge members 12 and 14. Accordingly, the flat 28 is the only flat which actually functions to render the hinge inoperable so that it cannot be opened. A hinge 52, illustrated in FIGS. 8-12, can therefore be constructed having a pintle 54 (FIGS. 9 and 10) having only one polygonal-shaped section or flat 56 of a length which is equal to or slightly less than the combined width of the uppermost ones of the knuckles 18 of the hinge members 12 and 14. The remaining portion of the pintle comprises a reduced diameter portion of round 58. With the pintle 54, the cavities 22 formed in the uppermost one of the knuckles 18 on each 'of the hinge members 12 and 14 are formed with a shape corresponding to that of the polygonal-shaped flat 56 of the pintle while the cavities in the remaining ones of the knuckles 18 of each of the hinge members 12 and 14 have a shape corresponding to that of the round 58, as illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 12. With this construction, a slightly sturdier hinge isprovided since the knuckles thereof can fit more snugly about the pintle 54. Accordingly, the knuckles are more easily retained in alignment, during rotation.

The operation of the hinge 52 is the same as that described above, for hinges and 36. That is, to render the hinge 52 inoperable, the pintle 54 is adjustably positioned downwardly by pressing on its upper end, to lockingly engage the polygonal-shaped flat 56 thereof in the cavities 22 in the upper most ones of the knuckles 18 of both the hinge members 12 and 14.

The pintle 54 also can be spring-loaded and pintle lock provided, by modifying the structure of the hinge 52 in the fashion of the hinge 36.

In FIGS. 13 and 14 there is illustrated a pintle 60 which is of a generally circular configuration, as opposed to a polygonal configuration, and having splines 62 (FIG. 14) formed in the peripheral surface of the sections 64 66 thereof and two reduced diameter portions 68 and 69. Accordingly, with the exception of the fact that the pintle 60 is generally circular in configuration and has splines 62, its construction is the same as the pintle 16. With the pintle 60, the cavities 22 within the knuckles 18 of a hinge are correspondingly shaped to slidably receive the pintle therein. The splines 62 prevent one or both of the hinge members from being rotated, depending upon the position of the .pintle 60 within the knuckles of the hinge. It can therefore be seen that the pintle can assume numerous different shapes and it is only necessary that it have a shape whereby it can be lockingly engaged within the cavities within the knuckles of the hinge to prevent one or both of the hinge members from being rotated.

. In FIGS. 1 8, there is illustrated another pintle lock 70 which can be used with the locking hinge of the present invention. The pintle lock 70 includes a bar 72 which is pivotally aflixed by means of a set screw 74 to a slide block 76. The slide block 76 is slidably retained with a slot 78 formed in a lock block 80 integrally formed with the hinge member 12. The bar 72 is held in fixed position with respect to the lock block 80 by extending the length of the end of the one knuckle 18 so that it overlaps the lock block 80, illustrated in FIG. 18. The end of the bar 72 is adapted to lockingly engage within a groove 82 formed in the pintle 84.

The pintle 84 may be spring-loaded, as illustrated, and in such a case, the bar 72 can be advantageously provided with an upstanding projection 86 which is adapted to lockingly engage within a slot 88 formed in the lock block 80. With this construction, when the pintle 84 is released after it is depressed and the bar 72 engaged within the groove 82, the pintle 84 is urged upwardly and carries the end of the bar 72 with it. The bar 72 is caused to pivot about the set screw 74 to thereby lockingly engage the upstanding projection 86 within the groove 82 so that the bar 72 cannot be disengaged from the pintle 84 unless the pintle 84 is again depressed to disengage the upstanding projection 86.

In FIGS. 19 and 20, there are illustrated two alternative constructions for the locking hinge, for providing greater strength and/or a more hidden appearance. 'In FIG. 19, the hinge members 12 and 14 each are formed substantially U-shaped, having front and back walls 92 and 93, respectively, which are adapted to slidably receive the edge of a door or cabinet frame between them. Fastening means such as the threaded screws 94 are extended through apertures (not shown) formed in the front and back walls 92 and 93, and the door or cabinet frame. The apertures in the back walls 93 can be threaded to receive the screws 94, or the screws can extend through the back walls and nuts affixed to them, for securing the hinge to the door and the cabinet frame.

In FIG. 20, the :hinge is substantially like the hinge of FIG. 19, however, the hinge member 12 and 14 each are substantially L-shaped and have only a back wall 95 which is adapted to be aflixed, by means of thread screws 96 or the like, to the inside of a door or cabinet 6 frame. In this fashion, the hinge is hidden, except for the knuckles 18 and the pintle 16 thereof.

The pintle of the hinges shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 can be spring-loaded and a pintle look like that shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, or FIGS. 15-18, or FIGS. 22-25 can be afiixed to the hinge of FIG. 19. However, since the hinge of FIG. 20 does not have a front wall to which the pintle lock can be affixed, a pintle lock such as the one illustrated in FIG. 21 is preferred. The pintle 16 has a groove 98 formed in it, substantially centrally along the length of the flat 28, for receiving a lever lock 99 which is pivotally secured therein by a pivot pin 100. The lever lock 99 has a small outstanding lock lug 101 on its one edge, near its end, which is adapted to lockingly engage within a locking slot 102 formed in a wall of the knuckle 18 when the pintle 16 is depressed. A spring 103 is retained within a cavity 104 in the pintle 16 and forcibly urges the lever lock 99 toward the wall of the knuckle to engage the lock lug 101 in the locking slot 102. The upper edge of the locking lever 99 has an outwardly curved finger-surface 106 formed on it, for pressing the locking lever 99 into the groove 98, to release the locking lug 101 from the locking slot 102.

In FIGS. 2225 there is illustrated still another pintle lock 108 including an elongated, generally tubular-shaped lock retainer 110 which is fixedly secured to the hinge member 12 in any appropriae fashion, as by spot welding. A lock bar 112 is retained within the lock retainer 110 and has a set screw 114 affixed to its one end. The lock retainer 110 has a slot 116 formed in its front face so that the set screw 114 and hence the lock bar 112 can be slid to the right and left, as illustrated, to lockingly engage the end of the lock bar in a slot or groove 120 formed in the pintle 16, when the latter is depressed. The lock bar 112 has an upstanding locking lug 122 on its one edge, near its end, which is adapted to lockingly engage with the end of the lock retainer 110 when the end of the bar is received within the groove 120 and the pintle is released so as to be forcibly urged upwardly by the spring 122 (FIG. 22), in the manner described above.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those made apparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and, since certain changes may be made in the above construction without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Now that the invention has been described, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A hinge comprising, in combination: a pin; a pair of hinge members each having a plurality of knuckle portions thereon which are adapted to interlock and to slidably receive said pin therein for aflixing said hinge members to one another; said pin and said knuckle portions having a configuration such that one of saidhinge members is turnable about said pin when said pin is in a first position and when said pin is positionably adjusted within said knuckle portions to a second position both of said hinge members are locked and prevented from turning, said plurality of knuckle portions on each of said hinge members are alternately spaced, at least two adjacent ones of said knuckle portions on said hingle members having an interior of a predetermined configuration and said pin having an area thereon substantially corresponding to the width of said two adjacent knuckle portions and of a configuration to lockingly engage with the interior configuration thereof to prevent said hinge members from being turned, said pin being positionably adjustable transversely to said knuckle portions from said first position to said second position to dis-engage and to lockingly engage said area of said pin with the interior configuration of said two adjacent knuckle portions, respectively, to

thereby permit and prevent said hinge members from being turned, depending upon the position of said pin.

2. The hinge of claim 1 wherein said pin further includes a number of first areas thereon which have a configuration to lockingly engage with the interior configuration of said knuckle portions and a number of second areas corresponding to the number of knuckle portions on one of said hinge members which have a configuration to permit said knuckle portions to freely turn thereon, said pin normally being in said first position and said areas thereon being positioned to permit said knuckle portions on said one hinge member to freely turn and positionably adjustable to said second position to lockingly engage said first areas with the interior configuration of said knuckle portions on said one hinge member and with at least the interior configuration of one of said knuckle portions on the other one of said hingle members, to thereby prevent said hinge members from turning with respect to said pin.

3. The hinge of claim 2 wherein the interior of said knuckle portions are square-shaped and said first areas on said pin are correspondingly shaped so as to be slidable transversely within said knuckle portions and to lockingly engage therewith to prevent said knuckle portions from turning, and said second areas have a cross-sectional area which is substantially smaller than the crosssectional area of the interior of said knuckle portions so as to permit said knuckle portions to freely turn thereon.

4. The hinge of claim 3 wherein said second areas are circular in cross-section and of a diameter substantially smaller than the cross-section of said knuckle portions.

5. The hinge of claim 1 wherein the hinge further includes biasing means for normally urging said pin in said first position, locking means for locking said pin in said second position, against the action of said biasing means, said locking means includes locking bar means positionably adjustable transversely to said pin, and wherein said pin has a receiving slot therein for receiving said locking bar means to lock said pin in said second position, said locking means further includes stop means and said locking bar means is pivotally aflixed to one of said hinge members and has locking tab means on its one end lockingly engageable with stop means, said locking bar means when engaged in said receiving slot being pivoted by the action of said biasing means to lockingly engage said locking tab means with said stop means to prevent said locking bar means from being disengaged from said receiving slot until said pin is depressed to disengage said locking tab means from said stop means.

6. The hinge of claim 1 wherein each of said-hinge members are substantially L-shaped having one of its arms adapted to be affixed to the backside of a door, a cabinet frame and the like and the other one of its arms affixed to the side edge of a door, a cabinet and the like so as to conceal said hinge member, said last-mentioned arms having the knuckle portions formed on the'end thereof, said pin has a slot formed therein for pivotally receiving a locking bar means therein, a locking bar means pivotally afiixed in said slot having a locking tab on one end thereof, a locking aperture formed mom of said knuckles, said locking tab being lockingly engageable in said locking aperture when said pin is in said second position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 104,294 6/1870 Whelan et al. 16-144 1,166,702 1/1916- Fay et al 16-144 1,563,869 1/1925 Larson 16-134 1,683,814 9/1928 Block. I 1,782,582 11/1930 Raymond 16-169 2,500,829 3/1950 Jacobson 16+191 2,637,916 5/1953 Pagano 16144 2,926,382 1/1960 Knese ct al 16176 3,015,126 1/1962 Ahlgren 16-169 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 16-168 

